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DLottmann

My partner who witnessed the collapse - said his ice climbing career is over. WTF? Do you think therapy would help? Just kidding. He does have a kid on the way, maybe he's not thinking clearly...but seriously, he said he's never climbing ice again. I've sworn off things for life too, only to do the break my promise the following week. I'm afraid he's not kidding this time. Think this will pass?

Then I would say his “career” never really began. If he was oblivious to the obvious hazard I could understand his over reaction. Many alpinists/climbers have kids on the way, or already here. There is risk management, and there is obliviousness to actual risk. It sounds like he may have been oblivious, hence the over reaction... More a “tourist” rather a climber...

A newborn will change what is an acceptable risk.You just need to let him know you are willing to lead the scary stuff.Give him some time if he is a real climber he will get back to it in his own time.It sounds like a scary situation.

I agree with you. Many people don't realize what is a risk and the consequences. Young kid, a wife, an house to pay. You don't whant that people you like can not live decently because you are injure in a climb. I think that he took a good decision. Actually, the ice is very dangerous for many reason. The level of objective danger is very high and has people didn't train a lot in ice, subjective danger is also more important.

If I had a child, I probably do sport climbing. It is chalenging, the risk is lower as you don't have to place pro and rely on it in a fall, people are friendly, etc. More important, you don't have to assimilate a bag of knowledge as it is in trad or ice. In ice, you have to test the condition of the ice, the stamina of your partner, technique, etc. So. I agree with that climber and respect his decision.

Being a father myself, I have to say that it does change your perception of what you'll "have a go at". Then again, kids or not, looking at the pics, I probably wouldn't have been walking too close to those climbs, much less been climbing them.

Giving up climbing over this is maybe warranted, to each his own. I just hope that the parties involved realize that there was a serious pilot error that led to this near miss. Doesn't matter if you're ice climbing or driving on the freeway, you need to know when you're about the walk that thin line....especially now that you'll have an ankle bitter looking to you for advice.

Hey Slink: Does that crack about taking the hard leads for partners with kids extend to the loose, runout pitches at RR?

My partner who witnessed the collapse - said his ice climbing career is over. WTF? Do you think therapy would help? Just kidding. He does have a kid on the way, maybe he's not thinking clearly...but seriously, he said he's never climbing ice again. I've sworn off things for life too, only to do the break my promise the following week. I'm afraid he's not kidding this time. Think this will pass?

I had a strong premonition not to go climbing, went anyway, got avalanched downclimbing Diagonal and fell off Yale bulge 20+ years ago.

Do you use the X position on X rated climbs ? I must have forgot that one.

In 'call for and account of rain" at willougby, I will take any thing I can. even bolt.

In hard route, we can rest with the body x position by balancing the weight on our arms and legs. If I place 50 pounds on each legs and 25 pounds in each arm, hat means that I am in an aerobic situation. Like a runner going slower to take his beath. so in a long streneous climb, I can rest before placingg a good pro and do the second technical part or other move. It is the same in xrated climbs where you need a rest and can not place a pro.

In the example of eyebolder, he was downclimbing. Did he loose his feet on a snow pocket or did he was wash out by an avalanche higher in the cliff? I don't know. What I know it is that if he had two good ice axe in good position and climb down on a snow pocket, he won't fall down because his leg will have trigger the avalanche as his arms old him solid in ice.

Do you use the X position on X rated climbs ? I must have forgot that one.

LOL, Strand. I bet one uses every position possible on an X-rated route to stay alive! BTW, been bumping into TC at the gym quite a bit lately. He looks physically fit (like he always does) and getting into climbing shape. And seems to be having fun doing it. Great guy.

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"You have to decide to do a flag, where you can broke your vertebrae or a barn door depending of your pro" - the poster formerly known as Champ